The Mark of Vin
by A.M.Vannash
Summary: Ancient sprirts return, evil souls awaken and worse, they are set out for Sam. Three friends are hurled into a world beyond fascination. They embark on an impossible quest that can stop darkness from spreading. One problem, it's due in three days. iDance.
1. Movie Night

**Hey. This is my first fanfic. So read and enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly.**

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><p>Chapter 1: movie night<p>

CPOV

"We're going to watch Galaxy Wars: The Movie!"

"No, we're going to watch Rush Hour!"

"Come on Sam, that movie is so old. This one just came out"

"This one just came out!_" _ Sam mimicked, "why don't you save the excitement for the AV club."

It's another typical day at my house. I was in the kitchen making popcorn. It was movie night and my two best friends are arguing . . . again. This time, it's on movies. They've been going at each other non-stop for about an hour and as cute as they are, it was starting to get irritable. I sighed in despair.

"We all agreed that it was my turn to pick the movie." Freddie complained.

"That was before you got that nerdy movie!" Sam retorted, her face starting to turn red with anger. I eyed Sam's closed fists. Uh oh, I tensed. This fight is getting heated. If I don't break those two up soon, someone will get hurt - seeing as Sam's a bit short tempered.

"Why do you wanna watch that movie anyways?" Sam questioned, the red on her face faded. Wow, she was calming down. Maybe I don't have to interrupt their little, uh, entertaining 'fight'.

"Well, I think Galaxy Wars is actually worth seeing." Freddie explained. Sam rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, and you also think that your mom is actually sane." Sam said in a playful tone. I raised my eyebrows, waiting for Freddie to explode. But it never came.

"You leave my mom out of this!" he replied in a weird tone. He was smiling now and so was Sam. It took me a minute to realize that he was flirting with her. I leaned forward a bit, anticipating on what came next

"Too late." Sam stated in the same weird tone. Sam was flirting back! This is rich, I thought. This is just too good.

Sometimes Sam and Freddie are just too complicated to understand. One minute they're at each other's throats and the next they seem to want to make out. Trying to comprehend it all just made my head hurt. A voice interrupted my thoughts.

"Nug-nug is a cool character!"

"Says the boy who takes tick baths every week. You don't know what's cool!"

I decided that it was time to intervene. I walked over to them and stood in between.

"Sam, it is Freddie's turn to choose." I reasoned. Freddie smiled warmly at me.

"See, even Carly agrees with me." He said smugly. Sam stared at me like as if had gone loco.

"Carly, Rush Hour has action and comedy, plus Jackie Chan is starring. You know how much you love Kung-Fu films." Sam said persuasively, poking my stomach to add the effect. I shook my head.

"It's only fair if we…" then something dawned onto me. "Did you say that Jackie Chan was in this movie." I questioned. Sam simply nodded, a smirk played on her mouth. She smelled a victory.

I turned to Freddie. "Can we please watch this movie?" I asked him sweetly. The smirk on Sam's face seemed to falter a little bit, and then she recomposed herself.

"Ha! Two against one! What do you got say for yourself, nub?" Sam screamed.

Freddie narrowed his eyes at her. "Fine," he crossed his arms, "but only because I'm outnumbered." Sam did a fist pump in the air. I chuckled and made my way back into the kitchen. I removed the first mega-sized bag of popcorn from the microwave and placed in the second one. Normally, one bag would be enough for everyone, but when you're with Sam Puckett, you got to prepare.

As I was pouring the popcorn into the bowl, I couldn't help but glance at my friends on the couch. Sam was leaning back, her legs crossed on my coffee table. Today she decided to wear black capris, a royal blue layered top, a long chain necklace with a funky black heart as big as a baby's fist hanging at her stomach and black converse hi-tops. Simple tomboyish chic. She was watching eagerly as the movie began. Freddie was just wearing a black penny-tee that read _Stinky Soap_ and jeans.

Freddie, well he was just gawking at Sam like she was a goddess or something. I almost squealed at this. Sam and Freddie would be such a good couple. My thoughts were interrupted by the ding of the microwave. The microwave didn't only startle me though. It must have snapped Freddie out of his gaze because now he was giving his attention towards the TV.

"Here's the popcorn." I stated cheerfully as I walked into the living room.

"Thanks Carls." Sam grabbed the first bowl, started stuffing the popcorn into her mouth, then ushered me to go and sit. I placed the other bowl onto the coffee table then glanced at the couch. Freddie sat at one end while Sam sat at the other leaving a huge gap for me to sit. I sighed and joined them at the couch.

I know one thing for sure. My friends who obviously like each other are either in denial or they don't know it yet. And I can't just sit doing nothing when I'm pretty sure that this is hurting them both emotionally. No, I have to help them. I'm not going to meddle because that would be rude, I thought. But that doesn't mean I can't give them a little push.

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><p><strong>Was it good or bad? A great start or a dead end? <strong>

**Tell me what you think.**


	2. A Ninja mode cooperative Sam

**Second chapter is up! R&R**

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><p>Chapter 2<p>

Broken Plates, Popcorn and a cooperative Sam.

The movie was pretty good even though I didn't pay much attention to it. Instead I was watching the two pretty girls sitting next to me. They were going crazy and shouting at the TV. Well, Carly was. She was saying stuff like "Punch him in the face, no harder!" and "He's right behind you!" This was surprising because it was really out of character for Carly. I just figured she drank way too much peppy cola today.

But Sam was the one who was the more interesting of the two. She was standing imitating the kung-Fu moves onscreen. The results were two broken bowls and popcorn flying everywhere. My only thought: I have got to bring more action movies.

It was just funny watching her. I couldn't help but think that she was pretty, very pretty. Almost beautiful - no, she _is _beautiful.

I dropped my gaze.

In the past, I had a little, well a big thing for Carly. I didn't know what to call it. I'd always try to get her to go out with me but she always declined. Yeah, it kind of hurts to get rejected all the time but in time the pain faded. I've gotten over Carly a long time ago so I cooled it. Now I just see her as a friend and nothing more. Not even an attraction.

But that's not the problem. The problem is that as my feelings for Carly faded, my feelings for another girl grew. And she's the last person who I thought I'd get a crush on. Yup, it's none other than the she-devil herself, Sam Puckett.

As soon as I found the new-found feelings, I denied it for several weeks. But it didn't work out so well. I almost cracked in the end so I ditched that plan. For two months I was lost and confused. I didn't know what to do. I couldn't tell anyone, especially Sam because I'd end up in the hospital. So I decided to accept it and keep it a secret. And I think I'm doing a good job in not making it obvious.

But lately I'm not so sure.

It's getting harder and harder to cover these feelings. I caught myself staring at her multiple times. And whenever she is in the same room as me, I feel a pull towards her. It's almost frustrating.

That's why i sat as far away as possible from Sam.

I couldn't handle being in the near her in a dark room for two hours. Not when I feel that tug. Being away from her is what kept me sane right now.

So I left a huge gap on the couch. Sam glanced at the big space then look at me confused. But a few seconds later she shrugged it off and placed her legs on the coffee table. She was intently watching the TV like she was thinking something over. Her eyes look glazed, like she far away. She was biting her lips and she seemed a bit uncomfortable.

I realized that I was staring at her. I gave my head a little shake to push my thoughts away. I looked back to the TV trying hard to focus on it instead of the devil's spawn next to me.

But my effort to not watch her broke as soon as the movie began. Every now and then I'd be watching the movie but in the end, my eyes always wandered to her. Admiring her.

I guess it was a good thing that she was too caught up with her frantic karate moves, I thought. Or she'd think he was crazy or something.

I was both relieved and disappointed when the movie ended.

"That was an awesome movie." Sam stood up and started stretching her arms while yawning. "Isn't it way better than Galaxy Wars, Freddork?" she glanced at me expectedly. I shrugged turning away from her and walked into the kitchen. Sam followed me there, frowning. She opened her mouth to speak but whatever she was going to say, I didn't get a chance to hear it.

"What happened?" Carly screeched after she recovered from the film. "Sam, what did you do?" Carly marched to where Sam and I stood.

"Sorry Carls." Sam gave her a sheepish smile. Carly's gaze softened.

"Well can you at least help me clean it up?" Carly asked.

"Can I first get a snack?"

"No!"

"Ughhh, fine!" Carly smiled and ran off to get cleaning supplies. I turned to Sam.

"So Puckett, that was quite some moves you got there." I smirked. Sam smirked back.

"I learnt some martial arts move from one of mom's boyfriend." The look on my face must have been good because Sam's smirk widened.

"But don't worry," she took a step closer. "I might just use them on you." she teased. I smiled at her. I knew she didn't really mean it.

"I got the broom and dustpan!" Carly yelled, making us jump apart. Huh? I didn't even noticed how close we were. The blonde sharply turned away and hurriedly ran to get the supplies from Carly.

"Freddie you could go home if you like." Carly stated.

"Nah, I'll help you girls clean." not ready to leave Sam just yet. Carly just chirped an okay and went to pick the broken pieces. Sam and I were sweeping the popcorn-filled ground. Well, I was. Miss Puckett over here seems to think its fine to go for snack breaks every five minutes.

"Sam, would you stop stuffing your face for just a second and help me clean the mess _you_ made?" I whined.

Sam seemed to consider it a moment. "Let me think . . . no." and she continued to eat. I left her be partly because she had somewhat helped and getting her to cooperate some more was just a waste of time, and partly because I wanted to keep a safe distance from her.

After an hour of cleaning, Sam stood up and strutted to the door. I quickly blocked her path.

"Where you going?" I asked.

"Home." She stated like it was the most obvious thing in the world. I glanced at the clock.

"At this time?"

"What about the time?"

"It's almost midnight, Sam."

"Don't care. Now move out of my way before I beat you up." She retorted rudely, trying to push me away. I didn't move a budge.

"How are you gonna get there?" I questioned. She frowned when her attempts failed.

"Gonna walk, now move!" she was getting frustrating. She raised her balled fists as if ready to strike.

Before her fist came to contact I blurted, "Let me drive you." She froze.

"Huh?" I could tell she was confused at this suggestion. So I repeated what I had said.

She narrowed her eyes at me, "What are you cooking up, Fredwad?" she asked me suspiciously.

"Nothing. It's just . . . that it's late and you walking around . . . who knows how many nuts are in this town?" I stammered. She continued to watch me suspiciously. Just when I thought she'd decline or something, she said "Okay."

"Huh?" I stared at her for a minute. Did she just agree with me?

"I said okay! So are you gonna move or what?" she asked. Wordlessly, I stepped out of the way. I opened the door for her then followed her out, still a bit shocked. Since when did Sam Puckett cooperate with me? But then again, I offered her a free ride so of course she would take it.

CPOV

I smiled as my friends exited the room. Freddie being a gentleman opened the door for Sam but either she pretended not to acknowledge it or she didn't care because her face held a bored expression. I had an idea on what to do to get those two together but it's going to need careful planning and a right timing. The both are very stubborn in different ways. One wrong move could make them kill each other and destroy a good friendship – let alone a relationship.

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><p><strong>What do ya think? Please Review!<strong>


	3. I blast Freddie's ear off

**So, third chap is up. It was originally much longer than this but i decided to cut in in half. This is the car ride. Go ahead and read.**

**Disclaimer : I forgot to do this in the last chapter so i'm just gonna do it now.**

**Me: (Running away from a hungry lion in the middle of the jungle) Aaah! Help!**

**Lion: (Growls and run faster)**

**Me: (Tripping to the ground, i looked up in fear of the lion)**

**Lion: (Corners me)**

**Me: (I blurt out) Okay, I don't own iCarly.**

**Lion: (Just walks away calmly)**

**Me: WTF?**

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><p>Chapter 3<p>

Benson had a decent car. It was a black Mercedes and it must have cost a fortune. Not that I'm surprised. His psychopathic mother must have gone to lengths to get her little Fredward the 'safest car on the market'. Her words, not mine. She even made sure that the windows were bulletproof. Freddie's mom is such a freak.

I climbed in the passengers' seat. Freddie got in the drivers' seat and started the car. Looking out the window, watching the streets of Seattle, I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. Fredpus hasn't said one word to me since we left Carly's apartment. I snuck a glance at him. His brown eyebrows were knitted together and he was in deep thought. He looks really cute, like as in really, really cute. I frowned at that thought and dismissed it. There was just no way that I thought the nub was good-looking. He's just dreaming of Carly, I convinced myself. But surprisingly, that disturbed me too. I didn't ponder on why. Somehow, I had the feeling that the reason would terrify me. No, it was better just to ignore it. The weird thoughts would go away on it's own.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" his voice snapped me out my thoughts. I glanced at him and he was smirking. "See something you like?"

"In your nubbish dreams." I rolled my eyes at him. "Isn't Crazy going to be worried sick?" he gave a chuckle that made me squirm even more.

"Nah, she has the night shift at the hospital." He stated.

"We wouldn't want your mommy to run all over Seattle to look for her wittle fweddiebear." He just rolled his eyes at me.

"You know, she's not as crazy as she used to be."

"Mmmh, says the dude who wears anti-bacterial underwear"

"I don't wear them anymore!"

"And eats deworming and diarrhea medications every week."

"She claims that Carly feeds me dangerouse food. And I stopped eating those."

"And use a custom made special lice comb to brush his hair."

"I haven't used it for years."

"Hey, whatever helps you sleep at night." Smirking as I hear him grumble under his breath. Messing with this nerd was so much fun.

I saw a collection of CD's on the car floor and picked it up. They were of bands I never heard about. They probably existed like, a million years ago.

"Yo Fredlumps, who are these." I asked him, holding up the CD's. He took one glimpse then flushed red.

"It's nothing Sam, put the CD's down" he replied nervously. I studied him for a minute before giving him my trademark smirk. The boy was hiding something that I'm pretty sure it's embarrassing. I opened one of the CD case.

"Oh, if it's nothing then you wouldn't mind if I do . . . this" I placed the CD in the player.

"Sam, please . . ." Freddie tried to reason but it was too late, I already pressed play.

I cocked my head when the music began. I was expecting to hear lame rock music from the olden days when mullets were popular. Instead I heard instruments that I never really bothered learning how to play because they were so pathetic.

"Classical music?" I snorted at him, shaking my head. Leave it to Freddie to be interested in music from the prehistoric time.

"My mum got me those as a present." He protested his face still red from embarrassment.

"Of course she did." I muttered, still laughing.

"But hey, they do help me fall asleep faster." Freddie said. I stopped laughing and stared at him not knowing if he was being serious or not.

"They do?" I questioned. He peered at me worriedly at my sudden interest.

"Yes." My eyes widened. An idea popped into my head. I must have had a weird expression because Freddie then asked "Are you okay?" I nodded and composed my face so as not to raise any suspicion. Freddie kept glancing at me, frowning and I could tell he didn't want to let it go. To throw him off, I started messing with his radio. Suddenly some loud obnoxious song came on. Freddie's face cringed, making me laugh. This is the type of music mama loves to hear. To irritate Freddie, I cranked up the volume.

Freddie's complaints were drowned by the noise. By the time he made himself heard, I was already rocking out on my air guitar.

"Put the volume down!" he yelled.

"Mmmh, didn't catch that." I saw Freddie's hand reached over to the system. I pushed his hand away then immediately retracted. Sudden electricity passed through me at the instant touch. Glancing at Freddie, I could see he was blushing. I bet I was too.

I was so deep in my thought I didn't notice Freddie pulling over. When the music ended abruptly, I snapped out of it. Quickly scanning my surrounding, I realized that the music didn't just end, Freddie turned off the car. I gazed at him questioningly. He doesn't say anything, just gazed at me. To anyone else, we may just seem like we're looking at each other but in those soft chocolate brown eyes he was saying _I can't drive with the noise._ Shrugging, I continued to stare into his eyes, _Does it bug you?_ He got the message.

"Yes Sam, it does." He answered, slowly breaking his gaze.

"Good, then my work here is just progressing." I said, not able to look away from him. I mentally scolded myself.

"Why do you always have to annoy me?" Freddie said, almost whining. Judging by the playfulness in his tone, I knew he wasn't really mad.

"It's fun." I shrugged. He didn't reply, just started the car. Unlike before, this silence was comfortable. Music immediately blasted as soon as he started the car, making him jump. I turned off the stereo, shaking with laughter. I laughed for a good five minutes before calming down.

Freddie glared at me. "You just like seeing me in pain, don't you?" he said.

"Depends." I shrugged. His glare softened, giving me a look that made my stomach do weird flips. Heat rised to my cheeks and I turned my head so that he couldn't see me.

I've been getting some weird reactions whenever I'm near this nub. Ever since our first kiss, I may or may not have had a little thing for Freddie. I just didn't realize it until he was dating Carly and the jealousy hit me like a ton of bricks. But like I said, it was a _little_ thing. So I figured if I ignored it, it would fade away on its own.

"We're here." Freddie announced. Disappointment flushed through me. Shaking it off, I climbed out of the car muttering a quick thanks. I barely opened the door before he grabbed my wrist. The electricity I felt earlier was back. I was too stunned to move. The nub was getting bold.

"To answer your question back at Carly's house," he flashed me a grin. "I think you were war more entertaining to watch than the movie." I felt heat coming to my cheeks. I turned my head so that he couldn't notice my faint blush. It seems I'm doing that a lot now.

"I don't know whether I should feel flattered, or if I should beat you up right now." I muttered sarcastically. I didn't know if he heard me but his grin widened, indicating he heard me quite well.

I looked down at the hand still holding my wrist. I know I should have told him to let go and back off but I felt a sudden rush of anger that I couldn't explain so instead I grabbed his wrist and twisted his arm. Hard. He yelped in pain and instantly released me. I took this opportunity to scramble out of the car. It was getting to heated for my liking. I slammed the door and was about to go when he called me.

"What now?" I asked still feeling a bit angry.

"Night Puckett." He gave me a sweet smile, making my anger dissolve. Unable to speak, I just nodded and walked away in a dazed. Besides, I didn't have to say anything; I knew he got my message.

Man, does that boy recover quick.

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><p><strong>So how was it. Thumbs up or thumbs down. Is my writing clear or confusing? How will i know if you don't review? And please give me constructive critism.<strong>

**I am really excited about the next chap. Has alot of hints needed for future chap.**

**So please review. Thanx.**


	4. I get an ugly surprise visit

**What's up peeps? Fourth chap is out. Personally, this chapter was so fun to write because it's in my element. Suspense and Horror. lol.**

**Disclaimer : I don't own iCarly. But it would be so cool if i did.**

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><p>Chapter 4<p>

(Saturday, 12:30 a.m.)

I entered the house, not making an effort to keep quiet. I know it's rude and I may be caught coming past midnight blah, blah. Yeah, well mom's not home. She went to Las Vegas recently, with her boyfriend and I don't know when she'll be back. And even if she was home, she doesn't give a chiz on what I do.

The smell of alcohol hit me the instant I opened the door. That meant that mum is home. Whenever she comes home, her welcome home 'party' is just drinking and filling the living room with bottles. And then the next morning, when she is sober person with a killer headache, she would try to get me to clean it up. I'd chuck the bottles out the window or stuff them under mom's bed. On occasion I would really clean but that's only when Carly and Spencer come by and help.

I almost tripped over one of the bottles. Gritting my teeth, I looked around to see how big of a mess I'm going to have to 'clean' tomorrow. The house was messy and it was filled with empty bottles. Judging from the clutter in the living room, mom must have come home a few days ago, when I was staying over at Carly's. As I made my way to the kitchen, the overwhelming stench burnt my nose. See, I'm not particularly a clean person, but even to me, this room is disgusting. Before entering the kitchen I made sure to open all the windows, making a mental note to close them later. I started to prepare my ham sandwich because right now, momma's hungry.

As I was making my midnight snack, a dude entered the kitchen. He was slim but well built. His facial features were all sharp, which seriously reminded me of a vulture or some kind of crazy bird. He had jet black hair that honestly looked like it had enough grease to fry his head when exposed to mild sunshine. He may have been considered good-looking if it wasn't for his face. He had many scars on his face that were barely noticeable. There was one nasty scar that runs from his right temple to his cheekbone. It was deep and even thought it was healed, it was pink. But what made me hate this guy instantly since I first met him was the wicked gleam in his electrifying blue eyes. And I mean not the normal blue. It was an unnatural blue, mixed with sliver, and it made me wonder where he came across such a contact lens. I asked him once and he simply told me that it was his natural eye color. Right like I'm gonna believe that chiz. Plus the dude looks totally evil. His name is Joey, mom's recent boyfriend.

I told my mom what I thought about the creep but she just said, "Don't judge a book by its cover." My reply? "Nah, he's way more disturbing than a book cover." And it means a lot, coming from me. Then mom started yelling at me so I just tuned her out and left. When I came back, she was still yelling but at the chair for 'bumping her and hurting her ankle.' Obviously she's drunk because mom wouldn't do that if she was sober. Well, enough of my psychopathic mother.

"What were you doing out so late?" Joey asked me. I didn't bother looking up at him; I could smell him from here. Now I know where that disgusting stench came from.

"What are you doing here so late?" I counter asked Joey.

"I was taking care of your mom, she came down with a cold." I nodded my head. Of course, the only reason she'd interrupt her trip was because she was sick. That would also explain the text she sent me yesterday telling me to buy her a cough drop. I made a mental note to check on her later.

"She's getting better now." Joey continued. Ugh! Why is he still talking?

"Whatever." I finished making my sandwich and turned to leave the kitchen. He followed me out.

"Your turn, what were you doing out so late?" he repeated his question. I took a large bite and replied, "At a friend's place." But since my mouth was full, it came out like "Aw a fwends pway."

"You're going to choke if you talk with your mouth full." He cried. Great, I rolled my eyes, just what I needed - another person to give me a lecture on manners. Freddifer already covered that this morning.

"How did you come home?" Joey questioned me. What was he, a cop?

"A friend drove me."

"At midnight?"

"Yeah." That silenced him.

"Wow," he breathed, his eyebrows shot up in amazement. "That's good then. There are a lot of creeps in this city especially at night. You could get hurt if you're not careful." Joey asked his voice filled with concern. I might have believed he really cared if I hadn't glanced at his face. He had almost a hungry look in his eyes.

"Whatever." I placed my plate in the kitchen and ran upstairs to my bedroom. Making sure my room was locked I placed my back against the door and tried to even out my breath. The way Joey had sized me up was, well let's just say that I don't trust my door to be open when he's in the house. Walking to the dresser, I rummaged and found some sweats. I changed quickly and climbed on the bed. I immediately fell into deep slumber as soon as my head touched the pillow.

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><p>Being awakened by a robed figure hovering you is scary enough but when it's in the middle of the night and you can't see a thing except a dark silhouette? It's enough to give anyone a heart attack. And to all the people it could have happened to, it had to happen to me. Figures.<p>

It was too dark to see its face but only one name ran through my head. The _jerk._ How did he even get in here? I'm sure I locked the door before falling asleep. The robed figure didn't say anything just raised his hands. I tensed, balling my hands into fists and swinging as hard as I can at the dude. The satisfactory crack I was waiting to hear didn't come. I thrashed wildly trying to hurt the guy in any way possible. I swing my arm around his neck trying to hit his pressure point. Where my elbow should have met his neck, all I felt was air. My struggles grew frantic. The robed figure lowered his raised arms and clamped his hands around my neck, strangling me. I stifled back a scream.

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><p><strong>I just had to end it here, I couldn't resist. So was this chapter good enough? <strong>

**Please review.**


	5. I test Benson's nubbish theory

**Yo, yo. Chapter five is up, homies! So read and enjoy and (hopefully) review!**

**Disclaimer : I don't own iCarly.**

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><p>Chapter 5<p>

SPOV (continued)

I woke with a start. I was lying on my back, sweating profusely and panting heavily. Was it a dream or am I just hallucinating? I asked myself. No, it was just a nightmare, I decided. I've been getting a lot of those lately, ever since -.

I sat up trying to shake away the stupid nightmare. I'm Sam Puckett; I'm not an easy person to intimidate. It didn't intimidate me though. What got me shaken up was the fact that it reminded me of something I didn't want to be reminded about. Wiping the sweat that covered my forehead, I took a glimpse at the digital clock and immediately groaned. _3:00 a.m._ Seriously? I buried my head in the pillow and tried to go back to sleep. After a few unsuccessful minutes, I decided to go downstairs and get a snack. I quietly unlocked the door and slipped out as quiet as a shadow. The house wasn't old but it wasn't new either. I'm just thankful that there are no creaky floorboards here. That, and my skills on being sneaky. It always came in handy and I had years of practice with Freddie.

I was halfway downstairs when I remembered that I had already emptied the fridge earlier-not that there was a lot to begin with. Unsatisfied and still a bit hungry, I returned to my room.

_But hey, they do help me fall asleep faster._ I bolted up. I was lying on the bed waiting for sleep to come – again. While I was staring at the ceiling, Benson's words rang through my ears. I eyed the CDs on my nightstand. The classical music ones. I was too tired to put them in the box labeled 'things I stole from Freddie.' I picked up one of the CDs and placed in the CD player (which luckily for me was on the ground next to my bed.) "Alright Benson, it's time to test your nubbish theory." I muttered to myself as I pressed play. I laid back on my bed and took a deep breath as I waited for the music to play. Within five minutes, I began to feel drowsy and gladly fell asleep.

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><p>The next time I woke up, the brilliant sunshine hit my eyes. Ugh! Why was my bedroom facing the east? I sat up and glanced at the CD player which was still playing. Swiftly I ejected the CD and turned it off. Surely Benson won't mind if I borrowed it longer, I thought as I bounced down the stairs feeling a lot better. Usually it would have taken me hours to fall asleep but I guess Freddifer's boring music did the trick.<p>

On reaching the living room, I froze. The house for the first time in my life was sparkling clean. The bottles that were everywhere were gone; the floorboards were literally gleaming and there was a soft aroma of lemon and homemade cookies in the air (with a hint of bacon) which made my stomach growl. Who had cleaned this up? I wondered. There was just no way I was going to believe that my pitiful mother did this.

"Well, you look surprised." A voice broke in. I looked up to find Joey. He was smiling broadly at me like he was proud of how he cleaned up the place. My eyes wandered at his clothes. He was wearing a new shirt and jeans (that didn't smell at all) and he was wearing a blue apron (which seriously made him look like a sissy).

"You did this? You?" I inquired in disbelief. It's hard to believe that a few hours ago, this guy reeked. Wow, he cleaned up good. But his hair still looked repulsively oily.

"You say that like it's a bad thing." Joey laughed airily. "Yes, I did clean your house. It wasn't a good environment for a sick person. So you like?" I didn't reply, just continued to gape at my surroundings. Everything was spotless!

"I'll take that as a yes." He chirped brightly and turned to the kitchen. "Sam, do you want breakfast?" I nodded eagerly but then a thought struck me. I had emptied the kitchen last night. Joey noticed my confused expression. "I had picked some stuff this morning," he pointed to the pot I hadn't noticed boiling on the stove. "But you really need to go grocery shopping. This is only enough for today." He stated. "Here." He handed me a bowl of bacon and eggs. Immediately I began to devour the food. Joey went to the stove to stir something but I wasn't paying attention. Meat had a tendency of doing that to me . . . and . . . certain people. I pushed the thought away.

"That was good." I said when I finished. Joey smiled and took the plate, placing it in the sink. Whatever comment I thought of him being a sissy, I take it back now.

"So you cook?" I asked. I normally wouldn't be that social but the dude cleaned the house and cooked breakfast.

"Sure, it's just a hobby. My grandmother taught me a lot of recipes. It's how we bonded." He smiled but it didn't reach his eyes. "When she died, I cooked more often. It reminds me of the good times I had with her. She was a good woman. I miss her." He spoke softly. I stood awkwardly, not knowing how to comfort this guy. Mostly because what he said reminded me of my dad. "So do you wanna try these amazing cookies I made its chocolate and caramel and its warm." he suddenly chirped obviously trying to change the subject. He pushed a tray of about a dozen large cookies towards me. I grabbed one and bit into it. They were awesome, no chiz! I closed my eyes to savor the taste.

"Dude these are incredible!" I exclaimed once I finished the first cookie. Joey smiled in appreciation.

"Thanks, I'm gonna check Pam. I managed to convince her to give you this." He handed me a wad of cash. My eyes widened in surprise.

"Dude this has got to be at least three hundred bucks!" he chuckled.

"Yes, it's for the grocery. Here's the list." My excitement dropped as he handed me a list. "Whatever is left, go knock yourself out." I quickly stuffed the rest of the cookies in my pockets and rushed out the house.

"Don't forget to buy your mother a cough drop." Joey called as I exited the house. I yelled a quick 'okay' and then I was gone.

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><p><span>XPOV <span>

"Is everything set?" a voice called. She heard them grunt a yes.

"Have you unpacked?" she asked them. They nodded in irritation. It annoyed her but she couldn't blame them. She had asked the same question a hundred times. She went back to watching her customized television screen.

"When is the plan ready in action." One guy asked nervously. She smirked, loving the power she had over them. She didn't make any other sign that she acknowledged them besides rolling her eyes that were still glued to the screen.

"Patience." She held up her hand. "This isn't something you can rush. But if you must know, it has already began." She replied, looking at an image of a girl that just shot up the screen.

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><p><strong>So you like or not? What part did you like and which part do you hate? I know the end was a bit cliche but I couldn't resist not putting it there.<strong>

** I'm not really getting a lot of reviews but I'm still hoping. Also I'd like to thank Kate for her review. It really perked me up.**

**Until next time, please review.**


	6. A weirdo gives me ham

**Hey guys. Sorry for the delay. School is not giving me any time to relax (plus my parents only expect straight As from me. They literally freaked when I got an A-.) Also I've been dealing with a lot of personal issues. I have an exam next month so I have to begin studying now.**

**Enjoy. And please review.**

**Disclaimer : I do not own iCarly.**

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>Chapter 6 (Sunday 9:00 a.m)<p><span>Spencer's POV<span>

While I was in the shower the other day I had a brilliant idea. See, I once made Carly a lamp made if gummy bears and that was pretty cool. That gave me an idea. Why not make a building just out of sugar? So for the past few days I was debating on how to make it (don't ask) and now I finally made a decision.

"Carly!" I screamed as i ran out of my room. I had just finished writing my supply list.

"What!" Carly screamed back. By this time I had already reached the living room.

"Can you do me a favor?" I asked a bit out of breath. It's probably because I'm out of shape – Carly's words, not mine.

"You want more art supplies." Carly guessed. I stared at her for a minute.

"How do-"

"You have a certain look on your face whenever you have a new art idea." She interrupted. I just nodded in answer and gave her a list of supplies I wrote.

"Why can't you do it?" she whined, but it sounded far off.

"I have to go to Socko's house. He needs my help in sel-" Carly was spacing off.

"Carly," I gave her a small shove, "Carly."

"Huh?" she asked.

"So can you do it?"

"OK," she smiled, "But not today, its Sunday." I just nodded in appreciation and skipped to my room.

CPOV

I just had to giggle when spencer skipped away like a little girl. He can be so childish at times. I stood up and stretched.

"I'm going to take a walk." I yelled over my shoulder.

"Be back in thirty minutes." Spencer yelled back. I chuckled to myself, there was no need to tell him where I go - I always stroll at Seattle Park and he knows that.

SPOV

As I entered the store, I read the list Joey gave me with an annoyed frown. Tomatoes, onions, carrots, flour. My frown grew. Seriously where are all the meat? All I see are vegetables. I decided to do Joey a favor. First stop - the meat section.

The only problem I have is finding my way through here. The last time I went grocery shopping was five years ago. Five years are a long time apparently because the store is now way bigger than it used to be. I made a beeline to aisle four. Even though I haven't been here for years, I still remember where the meat section was.

On reaching I froze, I walked through the aisle wide-eyed getting more frustrated at the moment. Where was the meat? All I could find was canned soup.

Strolling through the long aisle, I searching thoroughly for any meat products. I couldn't find any. I saw a can with a label that said canned broccoli. Really? Does canned broccoli even exist?

I gave up my little search and glanced around confused. There were only two people at this section – me and a petite woman that looked like she was either in her early twenties or late teens. She had brown wavy hair that fell across her back. Her skin was golden yellow – like she had lived in the Sahara desert all her life. She had sharp green, almost yellow eyes that looked friendly but also intimidating. She radiated power. She seemed calm but I had a feeling that if I provoked her enough, she would be the worst enemy I could ever had.

"Aisle Eight." She said so faintly, I wasn't sure I heard. I turned to her. She was standing on her toes trying to get a can that was like twenty feet above her. There was no sign that she spoke. I shrugged deciding that I heard the wind or something. I turned to leave.

"It's in aisle eight." She repeated a little more clearly. I spun facing her and glared. She was slowing down my search for meat. The lady was holding a can that read canned sour crème. I eyed the top shelf. How did she get something so high? I glanced around looking for anything she could have used to help her. I couldn't find any.

"Humans have the weirdest stuff." she muttered, her face held an amused expression as she looked at the can.

"What." I inquired rudely which was probably a stupid thing to do but hey, I was getting impatient. She looked up at me and smiled like as if I just said a joke.

"Ham is in aisle eight, the new refrigerated section." She hummed and placed the can in a cart that never used to be there.

"Uh, was that there?" I pointed to the cart.

"No." she mused. Okay, then.

"How did you know I was looking for ham?" I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. I was pretty sure I didn't mention it out loud.

"Sam, I know a lot of things." She replied brazenly. I glanced unsure how to reply to that. "You might want to hurry because there is only one left." It took me a few seconds to register that she meant the ham. I spun and ran as quickly as I can to aisle eight. Before exiting the aisle, I paused to peek at the weirdo.

But she was gone.

It only hit me later. How did she know my name?

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><p>"I'm home!" I shouted as I stumbled in the house hauling the heavy grocery bags.<p>

"Hey Joey, I know I took a few hours, but I got it-" I said still trying to juggle the bags in my arms. I stopped talking when I saw Joey watching TV. His eyes were wide.

"What's up?" I asked with feign interested.

He signed, "Just another youth missing. This time it is a 17 year old girl. She is from right here in Seattle."

"Huh." I mumbled, not caring. Whenever the news comes on, I always fall asleep. I don't know how adults stand it. Maybe it is their genes or maybe they have slow social lives. Either way, I really didn't care. The only thing I _do_ care about right now is the pain in my arms because of these stupid grocery bags.

"Oh sorry, do you need some help?" Joey said suddenly noticing the baggage I'm carrying.

I glared at him, "No." I hissed at him. No matter how heavy it was, I do not need help. I am not a weakling. Joey backed away. I went to the kitchen and dropped the bags – the sender can organize it but not me. I made sure to place all my lovely bacon and ham in the fridge carefully. I slammed the door shut and was about to leave when something caught my eye. There were two pieces of paper stuck on the once plain fridge door. The first one wasn't exactly what you could call paper. It had the shape of paper but it had the texture and the green-blue color of water – literally. There were words written clearly on it though I don't understand how one can write on water. I hesitated before picking the water-paper. When I did, it surprised me that it felt like regular paper. I caught a whiff of the ocean. _'Watch the news.'_ It read. As soon as I read it, the water-paper literally evaporated. I jumped back in shock.

I slowly approached the second paper afraid it will evaporate as well but it seemed like regular old paper. It actually looked more like a flyer. It had so many bright colors that it made my eyes hurt. It was red and blue and it read with green block letters, DANCE COMPETITION.

I angrily grabbed it. Crumpling it and with as much force I could muster, threw it out the open kitchen window. I stomped back to the living room to see the news.

"She was reported missing by her brother after mysteriously disappearing this morning. Since then, police cars have been in and out of the place." The news reporter said as I walked up to the television. "Here's the picture of the missing girl."

The picture which flashed up on the screen made my heart stop. I blinked a few times not believing it. I know it crazy but the world seemed to have slowed down around me.

The missing girl was Carly Shay.

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><p><strong>I hope the long wait was worth it. So how was it? Good, mildly good or not even worth reading.<strong>

**What do you think happened to Carly?**

**Review plz.**


	7. My kidnapper gives me a pep talk

**Hey guys! Another chap is up! Hope you like it.**

**Disclaimer : I don't own iCarly.**

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><p>Chapter 7<p>

CPOV

I don't know what happened. One minute I was leisurely strolling in the park and the next minute I'm waking up in a cell, locked up, bound and gagged.

I was lying on my back facing the ceiling thinking, how the heck did I get here? It puzzled me.

The room was very dark. The only source of light I had was the faint glow beneath the door. There was no furniture which was really weird. There was no window so I couldn't tell what time it is. But I could tell that the floor was made of granite and the walls were made of bricks. Both were coated with dust that made me sneeze like every five seconds.

Just then the heavy wooden door slid open making me jump at the sudden motion. Bright light flooded in the room which made my dark-accustomed eyes squint. I craned my neck to get a good look at the person who opened the door but I didn't get a chance.

My eyes were open but all I could see was black. My jaw clenched. Them blindfolding me isn't really a reassuring thought. I could tell that the person who blindfolded me was nearby. I tried to restrain but when you're tied up, you have limited access to your hands. Strong hands grabbed me and all of a sudden I was being lifted. I restrained harder.

Then I felt it. Something pierced my arm. A cold prickly sensation ran through my entire arm. Black spots danced across my vision. Before passing out, all I felt was intense pain.

* * *

><p>Slapping isn't the best way to wake up a person. Trust me, I found that out a few minutes ago.<p>

_Smack!_ "Wake up." _Smack!_

Ten minutes later I was elevated on a chair still tied up and now with a huge red mark on my stinging cheeks. I couldn't see it though. There are moment like these when having an active imagination sucks.

"Huh?" I yawned and blinked twice but I still fell sleepy. The fact that I was still blindfolded didn't really help the situation. I tried to stretch but I instantly regretted it. Because of my earlier struggle, I was sore.

"What do you want?" I gulped. I tried to say it in a fearless way but it came out more like a weak whimper.

"The 411 sweetheart." I blinked. I couldn't identify the person who spoke. Mostly because the voice was disguised. I already had a bad experience with a disguised voice in I Win a Date. That didn't help.

"You drugged me." I changed the subject. I didn't know what information they want from me but I had a feeling if I told them what they wanted, it would lead to trouble. Big trouble.

"It was easier to restrain you that way. I didn't think you would appreciate it very much if I banged your head with a baseball bat." I shudder. "Didn't think so." He/she laughed.

"Who are you?" my voice went an octave high.

"Ask no question and you may have a chance at survival." I couldn't tell if that was a joke or not. Either way, it made my heart drop. When I didn't answer he/she laughed. "That shut you up didn't it?"

I sucked in a breath. "What do you want?"

"Like I said, 411. Information."

"On what?" I questioned which was a big mistake as soon as I heard the answer.

"Sam." My breath hitched.

"What about Sam?" I asked trying to stall him.

"She's your friend."

"Yes."

"You share secrets."

"Yes."

"Tell me what you know." My muscles tensed. He (let's call him a he for now) didn't say it like in a friendly way.

"I know a lot of things so be specific." Hands grabbed my collar, nearly chocking me.

"Listen girly-"

"What's going on here?" a voice broke in – a female voice which I didn't recognize. Immediately I felt an aura of power surround the whole room – which scared the heck out of me. Let's just say that the aura didn't feel really friendly. My shirt was released and the person scurried towards the newcomer.

"Carly is being uncooperative." He cried.

"Is that so?" I felt her advance on me. "Carly right? We haven't introduced ourselves but," a cold finger ran down my cheek, "it will come in due time. Listen, we're looking for Sam and you have access to her. Do you know what that means?" At this point I was paralyzed with fear. "It means you're going to help us whether you like it or not."

I suddenly unfroze. "And if I don't?" I answered back stupidly. Not knowing where the sudden rebellious streak came from. I have been hanging out with Sam way too much.

"I wouldn't do that." The disguised voice said, his voice filled with apparent fear.

"Silence!" the woman thundered. Nobody dared to make a sound. I figured I probably have like five second before I get throne to a dungeon or something.

"Everything that's important to you will perish." She said calmly but in a menacing way. "From important things like your family and friends to small items like your cell phone." Hands flew into my shirt pocket retrieving my brand new Pear phone out. _Crunch._ I winced. Well there goes a year's worth allowance. She placed something light in my pocket. My SIM card maybe? "I'll make sure you're there to watch everything be destroyed. And you'll be the grand finale." I gulped. "So, tell us what you know about Ms. Samantha Puckett."

I'd love to say that I stood my ground and refused to tell them. But in reality -I cracked.

"We've been best friends since elementary school. She's my co-host on iCarly. She is rude, funny, abrasive, and selfish but she's there for you in the end. She has a major love for meat. She lives alone with her mom." I blurted.

"Tell us something we _don't_ know. Does she talk about her dad?" she groaned.

I shook my head. "All I know is that he died when she was twelve. I don't know how. She really doesn't share a lot when it comes to that." I could hear the woman pacing.

"You're useless. Of course Samantha wouldn't tell her a thing. That devious little-" she abruptly stopped and took a deep breath. "Nevertheless, you could still be useful. We'll meet again Carly Shay. " I heard the door open and she was gone. The frightening aura left with her.

There was dead silence. I couldn't tell whether the disguised person was there or not. So I did something stupid.

"Hello?" I shouted. No reply came. I braced myself for someone to come and tell me to shut up but no one came.

_Swish._ I sat for about fifteen minutes, bored out of my mind (and the hard chair becoming very uncomfortable) when I heard the door open. I froze.

"Who's there?" I jumped.

"Shh!" it sounded like a male. A hand slapped over my mouth. I didn't appreciate someone sealing my mouth shut when I've already been blindfolded. So I bit him.

"Ouch! Calm down Carly." he whispered yelled. Yup, it was definitely a dude.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"I'm Joey. I'm you're ticket out."

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><p><strong>What's Joey doing there? You'll just have to find out. <strong>

**Before I post another chapter can I please (I'm begging now) get at least 5 more reviews. I get a lot of readers but very very little reviewers. Is my story that horrible that I can't get more reviews?**

**Until next time. Review please!**


	8. Spencer rocks the Macarena

**Hey guys! Another chap is up. Read and enjoy!**

**Disclaimer : I don't own iCarly.**

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><p>Chapter 8<p>

SPOV

It's been a week since Carly went missing. The police have been trying to find her. But so far there are no leads. It's like she disappeared into thin air.

We've all been depressed since. Freddie got iCarly on hiatus. There was no need to give a reason because of the publicity this case has been received. That's how the news spread quickly. Where ever I go, I find a newsstand with a banner that states '_Famous web star host missing._' I think if I see another of those newspapers, I might just punch the store clerk.

Joey decided to take over the case. He's a FBI investigator.

A soon as the news of Carly's disappearance broke out, it took about fifteen minutes for me to unfreeze. When I did, I immediately rushed to Bushwell Plaza.

_ **** Flashback ****_

_ "Spencer!" I busted through the door, panting heavily from all the running I did._

_Spencer didn't reply. He was sitting on the couch watching a rerun Girly Cow while eating a purple prune pop._

"_Spencer?" I crept towards him slowly. He looked terrible. His hair was tousled, his clothes were crumpled and he looked pale. Purple sticky liquid was smeared around his mouth and it extended over to his cheek like as if he had been trying to eat the prune pop but it kept missing his mouth. _

_Just looking at him made me mad._

"_This is Carly's favorite show." He said, his voice sounded far-off and his face held a dream-like expression. I kept my mouth shut. I knew if I didn't, then I would say something stupid._

"_Here's your drink." I was preoccupied with Spencer that I hadn't realized that Freddie was in the room as well. He handed a purple glass to spencer which Spencer immediately devoured it. Freddie stared at him, his face screwed in disgust. He looked up and froze. His eyes flashed a look which I couldn't identify. And I didn't want to find out. _

_He nodded his head towards the stairs. Then he proceeded to them. He paused at the bottom and turned to me questioningly. I got the message; he wanted me to go with him. I followed him upstairs._

_Freddie led me to the iCarly studio. I found him behind the glowing laptop. The light made him look pale and striking. I shook my head. This was not the time. _

"_Dude, what do you want?" I walked over to him._

"_I'm trying to trace Carly." He scratched his head. I perked up. _

"_How?" I peeked over his shoulder trying to ignore the zero distance between us._

"_I'm looking for her GPS details. The exact time, longitude and latitude can be shown geographically on the map."_

_I gave him a blank look. "Say it in English."_

_He gave me an annoyed look. "I'll track her through the Pearphone tracker."_

"_You're going to trace her through her phone."_

"_That's what I just said."_

"_No, you just said a bunch of nerdy words." Freddie looked like he was going to argue but he took a deep breath instead._

"_Let's not fight at a time like this." He said in a leveled tone. He turned back to the computer and began to type furiously._

"_Hey, what did you give Spencer." I asked out of the blue._

"_Lemonade. Carly's special lemonade." We both shivered at the thought._

"_I'm no therapist," he continued "but I believe he is psychologically and emotionally depressed at the recent traumatic-" he was starting to bore me with his smart-talk, not that I didn't understand him but I'd give any excuse to mess with him. So I punched him._

_He doubled over. "In English dude!" I hissed, pleased with his reactions._

"_He. Misses. Carly." He said trying to catch his breath._

"_So he's reminding himself of her by doing the things she loves?" I reasoned. He grunted a yes. Did I really punch him that hard? He's such a wimp. _

_He went back to typing._

"_I got in!" he announced._

"_Wait, did you hack?" I asked him. I guess it had a hint of admiration because he smirked._

"_Had to. Couldn't leave a trail for the police."_

"_And hacking would solve this how?"_

_He smirked, "I would explain it to you but you'd only fall asleep."_

_I shrugged. It was true after all._

_A map flashed on the screen. It had images of red waves on it but didn't come from a specific place. It was scattered. The computer began beeping._

"_Did you find a signal?" I asked stupidly._

_He shook his head. "I am, but it's faint. All I can tell is that she's still in Seattle but I can't find the exact location."_

_I rolled my eyes. "Well, look harder."_

"_I'm trying." After a few minutes, the beeping stopped. I may not be a genius like Freddie but I know this isn't a good sign._

"_No!" Freddie breathed. I peered at the laptop. It still showed the map of Seattle but the red waves were gone. It's like Carly's kidnapper knew we would be trying to trace her._

"_The signal's dead." I said flatly. Freddie just stared at the screen._

"_You said that she's still in Seattle, right?"_

_Freddie glanced at me unsteadily. "Don't tell me you're planning to look for her on the streets." When I didn't reply he exclaimed, "Sam, Seattle is huge!"_

"_Don't come if you don't want." I shrugged and walked out the room_

_Despite of the crisis going on, I couldn't help but laugh when I entered the living room. Spencer was standing in the middle of the living room. He was facing the kitchen doing the Macarena dance in nothing but a shirt and- _

"_Pink care bear boxers? Really?" I snickered. Spencer didn't reply. He sang 'Oh Macarena' and turned so that his back was facing me. _

"_Come on dude!" I turned to see Freddie standing next to me. His facial expression was a cross between amusement and horror. I laughed even harder._

_Freddie walked over to Spencer. He shook him though it was hard because Spencer was too busy dancing._

"_Dude, calm down. Yes I know this is Carly's favorite dance. Put your pants on." Freddie coaxed. He gestured me to bring him the pants that were lying on the couch. I handed him the clothing and went to hunt for some supplies. _

_After collecting everything I needed and a ten minutes hassle in Spencer's room (don't ask), I proceeded to the living room. I found Freddie and a calm Spencer. He managed to get Spencer fully dressed._

"_Here's the plan." I didn't give them time to speak. "We try to follow Carly's path. We're going to search all the places she last visited, okay?" I handed Freddie the bag I was carrying. It contained the things we may need for the search. Spencer opened the bag and took out a map. He unfolded it and placed it on the coffee table._

_Spencer went from the crazy dude who was just dancing the Macarena to a very serious dude who was determined to find his baby sister. "Sam, you'll search uptown," he pointed to the east. "Freddie will search the other downtown." He pointed to the opposite direction. "I'll search central town starting with Seattle Park." We stared at him. Central town? Really? "But don't go too far. Gather anything you find interesting and we'll meet back here in 3 hours, Roger?" we nodded and set off. _

_ **** End of flashback ****_

I laughed bitterly remembering our feeble attempt. We ended up finding nothing – not even a stinkin' footprint. The police weren't much help either.

Since Joey took over the case he decided to go AWOL. Haven't heard from him but mom insisted that he comes over to say goodnight daily.

I laid my head back on the sofa. After the failing search, I returned home and place myself in house arrest. I didn't go anywhere. Basically I just ate and slept. At some point Freddie came over to take care of me (and forced me to go to school) but other than that I was oblivious to my surroundings.

Just then my phone rang.

"What?" I said monotonously.

"It's Freddie, you have to come over at Carly's." he sounded happy but in shock as well.

"Why?" I didn't want to leave. The sofa was very comfortable.

"Just come." He hung up.

With a groan I hauled myself up and forced myself to go to the Shay's residence. Twenty minutes later, I found myself in front of apartment 8-C. I barged in without knocking.

"What do y-" my voice caught on my throat. Immediately, I could understand Freddie's mixed emotions he displayed earlier.

Sitting on the couch was Joey and . . . Carly.

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><p><strong>So how was it? Good or Bad? Let me know.<strong>

**What is you're favorite part? Mine is the part where Sam finds Spencer doing the Macarena.**

**Also, I need some names for the dance teams. I have a few in mind but if you have any suggestions then I'll be willing to use them.**

**Also, sorry if the chapter isn't clear. I'm didn't edit it and it's like really late. Sorry.**

**Thanks for reading. You're awesome by just doing that.**

**Until the next chapter, review please. :)**

**A.M Vannash**


	9. A creeper speaks gibberish

**Hello guys! Sorry about the title change. It was necessary though. This is still iDance, the plot is still the same but I think that The Mark of Vin is a more appropriate title. So fret not!**

**Sorry for taking this long to update. I was busy prparing for exams and now that it is over, I can update faster.**

**Thank you so much for reading. I was blown away by of how hits and visitors there were last month. Keep reading please! **

**So here is chapter nine!** :)

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><p><span>Chapter 9<span>

CPOV

I was lying on my stomach in my cell reading - kind of. I was actually studying the floor plan of the house that Joey drew for me. He went undercover as one of the kitchen servants so he got a good look at the place.

I didn't even know there were any servants here.

I squinted, adjusting the dirty sheet of paper. My new source of light I had was a candle that Joey snuck in. According to this layout, this place is huge. There were four floors and currently I am residing in the third. There weren't many rooms. It was like the mansion was specifically designed as a military base unit. There were a few enormous rooms that Joey labeled 'Training grounds.' Outside was surprisingly bare. No fence, no wall, no security guards. In fact, the house has no security at all.

My door, I suspect doesn't have a lock but I didn't try to open it because it doesn't have a doorknob either. The only time that door is opened, was to bring me food or let me go to the bathroom. There's no handle on the other side so I had no idea how they opened it. I just figured they might have iris recognition system or something but I was disappointed to find the wall bare.

My captors haven't spoken to me since. I haven't really spoken to anyone besides Joey. But the only time I see him is when he is bringing food. I don't know how long I've been here but Joey assured me that I've been here for one week.

_Creak._ I jumped as the door creaked open. I quickly shoved the paper in my pocket wincing slight as I heard it crumple. In a nanosecond I blew out the candle and curled up in fetus position, pretending to be asleep.

"I know you're not sleeping." My head shot up.

"Joey!" I breathed in relief. He set down some plates that he was carrying and handed me a jug.

"Whe-" Joey shook his head before I could finish my question. He put his index finger up on his mouth, signaling me to shut up. He then pointed at the non-existent watch on his wrist and then to the door. I nodded my head, finally understanding. He was being timed. Without another word, he stood up and left closing the door behind him. I was in darkness once again.

I fumbled for the matchbox that was tucked in my pocket. After several attempts and a few curses, I finally re-lit the candle. A red luminous flame filled the room. I looked down at the meal I've been given. On the rusted metal plate were bread and some thick brown liquid that I couldn't identify. A sudden overwhelming feeling of homesickness filled me as I stared at the meal. I pushed it aside as I picked up the plate.

Then something caught my eye. There was a piece of paper taped underneath the plate. Feeling excited, I tore it out and quickly unfolded it. It read:

_Carly,_

_ I found a way out. Meet me at the throne room at midnight. I left a watch in your left pocket so don't be late. You might want to watch out for any passing servant. Use your map._

_ Joey_

I digged into my pocket and sure enough, I found a digital watch. I didn't care how or when he smuggled it for me but I was grateful.

It was only eight p.m. which left only four hours left to my escape. I settled down, eating my food, feeling a lot happier than I've ever been this week.

I waited anxiously as the clock ticked near to midnight. I still had a lot of time left which didn't really help. In the midst of my anxiety and anticipation, I managed to fall in slumber.

I found myself sitting near a wide river watching the sunset. It sparkled beautifully under the sun which should have made my eyes hurt, but it didn't. I gazed at the sky. The setting sun left multiple streaks of red, pink and purple which luminously flared the unending sky. The sky was fragranced with a sweet smell that I couldn't identify nor was sure it existed. Along the river banks rose colorful flowers of every species I could name and not too far behind stood a thick plush green forest that shoot sky-high. This place is too good to be true, I thought. It's surreal.

"It's a sight to see." A melodic voice came from behind me. I spun around to see a young woman who looked like she just stepped out of a Greek fashion magazine. She was wearing a silver robe that draped around her petite figure beautifully. Her long brown silky hair was worn in a single braid. There was a circlet in her hair that looks suspiciously like diamond. Her eyes were an unusual color of green but I couldn't decide because the color keeps changing.

"It's a shame that none of this exists in the human world." She continued absent-mindedly.

"Er-" what she said made me hesitate a bit. She came and sat down next to me.

"Where are we exactly?" I finally asked. She pondered on this question for a couple of seconds.

"America." She shrugged, "Well, not completely." I started to nod at her answer when something sunk in.

"Wait." I stared at her, "What do you mean we're not completely in America?"

She smiled at me like as if my confusion was entertaining. "Your body is in America-Seattle to be exact, but your conscience isn't."

"Where exactly is my conscience then?" I huffed.

She stood up and took a few steps toward the east, following the river. She paused and looked at me questioningly.

"Aren't you coming?" when I didn't reply, the creepy eyed lady resumed to walking. I debated on whether I should follow or not. In a split second, I made a decision.

"Wait for me."

"So how's your escape going?" the creepy eyed lady asked. I glanced at her unsure of what to say. I never told her about my kidnap but here she is, asking me how I was planning to escape.

"What are you talking about?" I inquired, feigning confusion.

"Carly, you know what I'm talking about." She smiled. "I assume you're going to escape with Joey." It was more of a statement that a question. But the way she said it made me alert.

"What's wrong with Joey?" I asked dropping the façade. I narrowed my eyes at her suspiciously.

"Do you trust him?"

"Yes." I said automatically, "he is sacrificing so much to save me and he's a cop. Besides, he is one of Pam's boyfriends that Sam doesn't mind."

She adjusted her thick braid that was embellished with gold.

"Why were you asking?" she tilted her head like as if she was listening to something.

"Do you hear that?" I strained my ears listening carefully but I came up with zero. When I shook my head, she ushered me to hurry up.

As we were walking, I heard it. a roaring sound filled my ears. It took me a minute to digest the sound. A waterfall. There was a waterfall nearby. We kept walking until the waterfall was visible.

I gasped as I gazed at the breathtaking sight in front of me. There was a ginormous waterfall. Its sparkling water was running at high speed hitting the river below at high pressure, causing the air around it to bubble and condense. Green, blue and lavender mist swirled together stunningly.

My mouth was agape, still taking in this dreamlike scenery. I didn't notice that the lady had stopped walking until she pulled me behind.

"Don't get too close," she warned, "It's not healthy for mortals."

"You say it like as if you're not mortal." My tore away from the falls unwillingly.

"A waterfall is beautiful but it is taken for granted." She continued like as if she didn't hear me. "It can be deadly too." I didn't reply to that. Mostly because I had nothing to say. But one thought ran through my mind. Why was she telling me this?

As if she read my mind she said, "I'm telling you this because they are going to request something from you which you are going to take for granted," she paused fixing her eyes at the colorful sky. "But like a waterfall, it can lead to a fatal result."

"Who are 'they'?" I lifted my finger to air quote 'they'.

She kneeled down. "You see this river." I nodded, following suit. "It's called River Nur. It has other names but mostly goes by Nur."

"The river of light." I translated. I smiled sheepishly at her shocked expression. "I did a play on multiculturalism and played as Noor."

She nodded. "Its water does many things. It heals, gives power, strengthens, and returns memory. . . " She trailed off. "But mostly it gives light to those in darkness." I reached for the river, wanting to touch the water. I felt my hand being pushed back with such a strong force that I almost collapsed. It repelled like to two magnets of like poles.

The mysterious lady smiled faintly. "It also protects." She lapsed into silence for a few seconds before she spoke up again. "Always remember Carly, where there's fire, there's light."

I did a double-take, "Don't you mean; where there's fire, there's smoke?"

She shook her head fervently, "No."

"I don't understand."

"You will when the time comes." She assured me.

"It's time for you to wake up." As soon as she said that, I could feel myself drifting away.

"Wait! What's your name?" I called out. I didn't want to leave without knowing her name. She obviously knew mine which I find strange. I don't know her but she seemed to know me. Talk about stalker.

Long pause. "Mesi."

Just before I blacked out again, I heard her say, "Carly, beware of Greek bearing gifts." I wanted to ask 'Which gifts?' 'Who's going to give me gifts?' but I couldn't find my voice.

And that's how I ended up back in my cell.

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><p><strong>Review please! <strong>

**Until next time,**

**A.M Vannash**


	10. My escape takes an invisible turn

**Heyyy! Chapter 10 is finally up! Seemed like it took forever. Anyways, this chapter is the first chapter to be edited by a beta. A big thanks to melbelle310 for editing this chapter for me. She's awesome. She pointed out mistakes that even I hadn't seen. So THANKS!**

**iCarly is ending :( but i hope you'll continue reading iCarly stories even if the show is no longer airing.**

**Back to the story.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly.**

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><p>Chapter 10<p>

CPOV (continue)

I sat up, groaning in pain as I rubbed my head. Coming back here felt like I was freefalling from the sky. And landing on my head. Well, not exactly but it sure felt like it. I had a massive headache and felt light-headed. I placed my head in between my knees hoping I could get some relief, which helped but not as much as I hoped.

My sudden migraine made me almost forget my crazy, vivid dream. Speaking of the dream, what was that? I knew for certain I had met a lady. Mesi. That's what she called herself: Mesi. What an unusual name, just like my dream. Just like my situation. Just like her.

I stood up, trying to ignore my dizziness. Big mistake. I wobbled a bit before crashing to the ground. My vision blurred, and I swore the room turned green.

I sat still for a moment, taking in deep breathes as I waited for my distorted vision to clear. My headache left as fast as it had come, along with the dizziness. I waited for a few minutes to make sure I was okay before rising slowly with caution, waiting for my head to explode again. It never did. Breathing in relief, I glanced at my watch. 11:30. I had thirty minutes left before my escape with Joey. I needed get a move on if I wanted to make it on time.

As I reached the door, I faced a dilemma. How could I open the door? How does a person open a door without a handle? Who even builds a doorknobless door? Ugh, that's not even a word!

After fifteen minutes of struggling, I began to get desperate. I tried pushing, banging (but stopped considering the noise), and pulling through the cracks, but to no avail. I stared at the wooden door, my hope diminishing as every second ticked by. Time was running out and I was barely out of my cell.

Maybe I lost it or maybe I was just frustrated but then I did something stupid. I paced around the cell, and with a cry, I threw my candle at the door. Instantly I froze. _What did I just do?_ I thought as I watched the fire flicker. Great, now I'm going to lose my only source of light and my last ounce of patience as well as increase the chances of burning down the place. I eyed the candle as it simple bounced off the wall, snapping into two. Then the fire died.

Nothing ha caught on fire which allowed me to give out a breath I never I was holding. I went on my hands and knees reaching out blindly, trying to find what's left of my candle.

That's when the door opened.

I jumped, not knowing whether to make a break for it or to curl up. In the end, I didn't have to do either because no one was on the other side. Had the door opened by itself? No, that's silly, someone must've opened it - but who? Could this be a trap?

I didn't ponder on this because I had limited time. I checked my watched. 11:58. I needed to move quickly.

Quickly and discreetly, I tiptoed down the stairs, following the map as well as keeping my eye out for anyone that I might come across. I guess I'm lucky that no one did.

As usual, I spoke too soon because while walking, I crashed into someone. Without a second thought, I sprang into attack mode and lashed out at the person. Suddenly my hands were restrained, making me thrash violently in the person's arms.

"Calm down Carly, it's only me."

Immediately, I felt my limbs relax. It was just Joey, not some random servant.

"What took you so long? I was just about to get you," Joey whispered.

"I couldn't open the door."

"So then how did you get out?"

"I don't know . . . it just opened." Joey looked over at me, his mouth open in surprise.

"Didn't think you'd believe in ghosts." I gave him a dirty look.

"Well then, how do you open it?" I asked sourly.

"With this." He held up a bright yellow card.

"And you didn't think of giving me one?" I stared at him in disbelief.

"I did," he grumbled. His hands flew to my jacket pocket, and he pulled out a card identical to the one he had except it was green.

"Oh." I felt the heat rising to my cheeks. "Thanks." I smiled sheepishly. He merely shrugged then suggested we move, so we did.

Either Joey didn't know the route, or he understated the drawing of the map because this place was a maze. We kept turning and moving up and down, so I concluded that it was the latter. We walked for what seemed like hours. When I suggested that we take a certain path, Joey immediately dismissed it, saying that it was a dead end. Huh, maybe he knows his way around better than I thought.

Joey stopped us in front of a huge fancy wooden door. He paused a bit before saying, "This is wrong."

I had a feeling he wasn't talking about the door. "Why did we stop?"

"It's not like this, it's never like this." Joey looked over his shoulder, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. His eyes darted around as if he expected someone to lurk in the shadows. Maybe someone was, but I would rather not dwell on that.

"Joey, are you okay?" I asked him gently. Besides the scowl plastered on his face, he made no sign of acknowledgment.

"It shouldn't be this easy." He muttered. It took all I had to keep calm. Time was ticking and freedom was just within my reach. I couldn't afford to go bonkers myself.

"Okay, you expected breaking out would be a challenge, but let's count our blessing and get out of here."

He shook his head, "Carly, if there's one thing I've learnt during my time here-"

"As a servant?" I interrupted.

"Sure," he shrugged indifferently, "-is that once you're in, there's no going out." He stared at me defiantly.

"Well then I guess we're just lucky." I managed to sound somewhat normal, but what Joey had said freaked me out.

Joey held out his card and waved it at the door. It opened, and we stepped out.

I closed my eyes as I took my first breath of fresh air. A rush of emotions ran through me: disbelief, happiness, gratitude, hopeful but most important free. I couldn't stop myself from grinning like a fool. I caught sight of Joey doing the same thing.

In front of us were the woods. It was big enough to conceal the whole house. _Good_, I thought. It could cover us as well. I ran, laughing wildly, not caring who would hear me. Then I hit something solid, making me plummet to the ground. It felt like a wall but when I looked, I could see nothing but air. Pain shot through my head. I groaned, caressing my throbbing forehead. Joey came at my side and helped me up.

"What happened?" I asked groggily. I thought I may have a concussion.

He reached out carefully, putting his hands out in front of him like a blind person. Then his hands stopped simultaneously in the same position.

"An invisible barrier," he called out. I almost laughed out loud. An invisible barrier? How old did he think I was, five?

"Sure," I replied sarcastically. I mimicked his movements. "And were going to ride on dragons and fight trolls on the other side. Come on Joey get-" then I hit it. I hit a solid wall that I couldn't see.

"-real," I finished weakly.

"You were saying?" he said, sounding almost smug.

"But . . . but . . ." I stammered. I didn't know what to say. Maybe I really _do_ have a concussion.

"Get them!" a familiar voice shrilled behind us. I whipped around already in my attack mode. There were five buff dudes coming at us. Five to two. The odds were against us. However I wasn't thinking normally to comprehend that.

Instead, I charged.

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><p><strong>So, how was the chapter? Give me your thoughts...<strong>

**and...**

**Please Review! ;-)**


	11. An Old Friend Returns

**Hey guys. Soooo, I know I've been AWOL for a while **(hides behind book) **and I'm sorry for that. I just had things going on. But I'm not one to quit a story a here is the next chapter.**

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><p><strong><em>Previously . . .<em> **

_"It shouldn't be this easy." He muttered. It took all I had to keep calm. Time was ticking and freedom was just within my reach. I couldn't afford to go bonkers myself._

_"Okay, you expected breaking out would be a challenge but let's count our blessing and get out of here."_

_He shook his head, "Carly, if there's one thing I've learnt during my time here-"_

_"As a servant?" I interrupted._

_"Sure." He shrugged indifferently. "is that once you're in, there's no going out." He stared at me defiantly._

_"Well then I guess we're just lucky." I managed to sound somewhat normal. But what Joey said freaked me out._

_Joey held out his card and waved it at the door. It opened and we stepped out._

_I closed my eyes as I took my first breath of fresh air. A rush of emotions ran through me; disbelief, happiness, gratitude, hopeful but most important free. I couldn't stop myself from grinning like a fool. I catch sight of Joey doing the same thing._

_In front of us were the woods. It was big enough to conceal the whole house. Good, I thought. It could cover us as well. I ran laughing wildly, not caring who would hear me. Then I hit something solid making me plummet to the ground. It felt like a wall but on looking, I could see nothing but air. Pain shot through my head. I groaned, caressing my throbbing forehead. Joey came at my side and helped me up._

_"What happened?" I asked groggily. I think I may have a concussion._

_He reached out carefully, putting his hands out in front of him like a blind person. Then his hands stopped simultaneously in the same position._

_"An invisible barrier." He called out. I almost laughed out loud. An invisible barrier? How old did he think I was, five?_

_"Sure." I replied sarcastically. I mimicked his movements. "And were going to ride on dragons and fight trolls on the other side. Come on Joey get-" then I hit it. I hit a solid wall . . . that I couldn't see._

_"-real." I finished weakly._

_"You were saying?" he said sounding almost smug._

_"But . . . but . . ." I stammered. I didn't know what to say. Maybe I really do have a concussion._

_"Get them!" a familiar voice shrilled behind us. I whipped around already in my attack mode. There were five buff dudes coming at us. Five to two. The odds were against us. But I wasn't thinking normally to comprehend that._

_Instead, I charged._

**Chapter 11**

CPOV

It's amazing what one can do during an adrenaline rush. It's also amazing how stupid one can be. Take me, for example.

I could hear Joey shout something in the background but honestly my ears were ringing so I couldn't be sure.

I ran up to a guy in green and gave him a blow in the stomach. It seemed to have worked. The guy immediately doubled over. I was about to congratulate myself when the recovered quickly. He swung at me. The impact made me stumble backwards. As I struggled to regain my balance, I could see Joey fighting off, two men. Good news was that he was winning. Bad news – the other three ganged up on me.

Hands closed around behind me. In an attempt to break free, I threw my head back, hitting his nose. The grip around me loosened. The second douche came at me. I tried to kick his groin. He saw what was coming and grabbed my leg before it actually hit. The result? My head hit a rock and I could feel a warm liquid trickle down my neck as I sat up. Still holding my right leg, Douche #2 pulled me towards him. With my left leg, I aimed for his crotch and thankfully didn't miss.

Seeing Douche #2 roll around in agony was a great confidence booster. I stood up, ready to take down Douche #3 but he didn't move. Instead he stared at me like as if I grew a second head and slowly walked away. The other four followed suit.

I raised my eyebrow questioningly to Joey but he merely shrugged it off. His eyes, though, held the same panic I was feeling right know. His eyes had a certain look as well, like he knew what was next to come but can't do anything about it. Before I had a chance to ask him what was wrong, my whole world turn dark.

Imagine you're open eyes trying to see through a closed eyelid. That's how I felt right now. One minute I was fighting the guards and the next I'm precipitously blinded. In a desperate effort, I put my hand in front of my face and waved. Nothing. That wasn't the weirdest part though. The weirdest part is that I can feel my rising hysteria slowly vanishing, sucked off to be exact. I felt empty. Maybe it's just my wild imagination but it's as if the darkness was draining my emotions. My arms felt heavy and my eyelids were dropping. With one last cry to Joey, I crashed to the ground.

Déjà vu is something I heard of but never experienced - until now that is. I'm tied down to a chair, blindfolded and feeling drowsy. A strong wave of déjà vu passed through me.

I seriously wanted to cry. I was so close to escaping only to land back at square one.

"Well, Sleeping Beauty survived after all." My blindfold was removed. I was in a room that could pass as a hotel. The walls were painted a warm beige color and the wooden floorboard was impeccably polished. The wooden furniture that surrounded me was of a rich chocolate mahogany. There were two sofas curved to form a disjointed U. The one on the right was black with three white pillows and the one on the left was white with three black pillows. Three circular tables of different sizes and height were in the center, resting on a white velvet rug.

"I see you like the décor." A blond teenage boy was sitting in the corner, staring at me intently. He sat in a superior way with a sneer on his pale face.

"Who the hell are you?" I normally don't curse but my patience was wearing out.

"Ah, so you want to cut to the chase. I'm," He propped up. "going to shock you next time you pull that stunt."

"Do what? Escape?" I spat sarcastically.

He studied me for a moment before laughing maniacally. "They haven't told you yet?"

"Told me what?" the boy continued laughing.

"This is rich."

Just then, a girl with wild red hair walked in. She had the same superior air around her that the blond boy had. Her curls covered her face but she looked oddly familiar. She stood in front of the boy.

He held his hands up, "Hey, I'm just following orders."

The girl let out a huff of frustration and whipped around, revealing her face. I realized that the reason why the girl looked familiar was because she was.

"Hello old friend."

"Wendy?"

She smiled at the sound of my voice. "I see you still remember me." She sat down on the couch.

Before Freddie moved to Bushwell, Wendy was our best friend even though she was two years our senior. Wendy, Sam and I got on surprisingly well to the extent that we were inseparable. All that changed four years ago when she and Sam had a huge fall out that caused Wendy to move away without a goodbye. Whenever I asked Sam about it she would either cut me off or change the subject subtly.

"How's life treating you?" Wendy flashed a cold smile. I gawked at her for a moment, not believing that she was standing in front of me. Physically, Wendy looked pretty much the same - just taller and more striking but still very much like Wendy. But I can tell that she's changed. She wasn't her bubbly, gossipy self anymore. She seemed quiet, cautious and solemn.

"You're back." Remembering where I am, a flush of anger coursed through me. "Why am I tied up?"

Her smile faltered, "It's for your own safety."

"Really," I snorted, "Since when did I turn into a psychopath that needed to be restrained?"

"Not in that prospect," she looked pretty amused at my outburst, "Though I appreciate the attempt, you shouldn't cast such charms without training."

_Charms?_

The confused look must have been evident on my face because the blond boy stood up and whispered something in Wendy's ear. Her eyes widened and her mouth formed an 'O'.

"Wow" she stared at me in wonder, "So you really don't know?"

Fed up with their mystery talk I grumbled, "When you stop talking in riddles, call me."

Wendy instantly stood up and left, dragging the blond boy along with her. Even though they were far, I could surprisingly catch bits of their conversation. They seemed to be quarreling.

'Why . . . could be dangerous . . . we underestimated . . . in . . . happy . . . element . . . Mesi . . . water'

My ears perked at the mention of her name. So they knew Mesi too? ". . . Prophecy . . . Pucket . . ." Before anything else was said, the door opened.

"So here's the deal." Wendy said as she sat. "I miss Sam. I really do and I don't want a little fight be the reason why we're not friends." Her voice was sweet, "Why don't you get Sam and we'll meet up at the dance studio, for old time's sake."

I shook my head, "It's not that easy, Sam never step foot in that studio again."

She gave me a grudging smile, "Carls, you're a smart girl. You'll figure it out."

"And if I don't?" Wendy gave me a cold look. For some reason, the conversation with the creepy lady ran through my mind.

_"Everything that's important to you will perish." She said calmly but in a menacing way. "From important things like your family and friends to small items like your cell phone and I'll make sure you're there to watch everything be destroyed. And you'll be the grand finale."_

Wendy's voice interrupted my disturbing memory. "I think we both know what'll happen"

That's how I ended up on the back of douche #2's car. It's ironic that all this time I tried to escape and in the end, my captors were driving me home in a Lamborghini.

I did a double take. _A lamborghini?_ I was still pretty weak so I might as well have imagined it. I glanced outside to see if where I had been held was near a familiar setting but to my disappointment, all I could see was trees.

"Go to sleep Carly, you need the rest." Joey, who was sitting in the front seat, whispered. I was way too tired to be suspicious.

Soon enough, I was shaken awake by Joey who informed me that we reached Bushwell plaza.

"Home sweet home."

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><p><strong>I hope that you liked this chapter. I'll post the next one sometime early next week (or if I have time then a few days), God willing.<strong>

**Pleas share your thoughts on this story, I love reading different people's view. If you have some constructive critism, feel free to review.**

**Peace out. 3**


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